Let Justice Descend (Gardiner and Renner Series #5)

by Lisa Black

Overview

In a taut, brilliantly twisted new thriller from bestselling author Lisa Black, forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and Cleveland detective Jack Renner investigate the bizarre murder of a senator with secrets to hide…
 
Three days before a key election, U.S. Senator Diane Cragin is electrocuted on her own doorstep—a shocking twist in an already brutal political race. Cragin’s chief of staff is quick to blame rival Joey Green, a city development director who’s had his hand in every till in town for over twenty years.
 
Maggie and Jack have their own theories, especially after discovering a fortune in cash in the senator’s safe. But as they follow the money through the treacherous landscape of Cleveland politics, they find many more millions in play—and more suspects.
 
As Jack says, “Anyone can be dangerous, when they have what they think is a good reason.” He should know. Now a Herald reporter is perilously close to discovering the truth about Jack’s penchant for acting as both detective and executioner. With each passing hour, the stresses of the impending election expose new fractures and corruption at the city’s highest levels. And as one murder leads to another, and another, Maggie and Jack’s only hope of stopping a killer is an alliance that’s growing ever more fragile.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496722355
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	10/29/2019
Series:	Gardiner and Renner Series , #5
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black introduced the characters of Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner in her acclaimed suspense novel That Darkness and continued their story in Unpunished, Perish, and Suffer the Children. As a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now she is a latent print examiner and CSI for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida, working mostly with fingerprints and crime scenes.
 
Lisa is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and she is a Certified Crime Scene Analyst and Certified Latent Print Examiner. She has testified in court as an expert witness more than sixty-five times. Her books have been translated into six languages. She lives near Fort Myers, Florida. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.lisa-black.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2019

The electrocution murder of Ohio senator Diane Cragin shortly before election day propels bestseller Black’s solid fifth thriller featuring Cleveland crime scene investigator Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner (after 2018’s Suffer the Children). Initially, Maggie and Jack’s prime suspect is Joe Green, Diane’s political rival, but after they discover almost a million dollars in cash in Cragin’s house, they’re forced to delve into the world of political corruption, bribes, and economic hit men. Meanwhile, Cleveland Herald reporter Lori Russo is working not only on a political corruption story but also on a vigilante case—a case that involves a murder Maggie helped Jack cover up. A second murder raises the ante. Maggie wonders if these murders are about politics or something more sinister. Black’s deep dive into forensics and crime scene investigation makes the book read at times more like a procedural than a thriller. This wealth of detail, combined with a complex plot, slows the pace of what is otherwise an intriguing tale of skullduggery. On the whole, though, genre fans will be satisfied. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR LISA BLACK
and her Gardiner and Renner Thrillers

LET JUSTICE DESCEND

“An intriguing tale of skullduggery.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Let Justice Descend is the definition of psychological suspense! Superbly drawn characters, nonstop plotting and a style that’s downright lyrical keep us racing through this tale of crime, politics, power and journalism from first page to the last. This is a one-sitting read!”
—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector
 
“This latest Gardiner and Renner mystery builds on the personal relationships among the leads while effectively exposing the underbelly of politics on the local and national levels. A high energy narrative with a final twist that will leave readers wanting more.”
—Booklist
 
“The timely and touchy theme of campaign politics is the center of Let Justice Descend, fifth in Lisa Black’s series about Cleveland forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner. The stakes are as high, the suspects are many, and the plot takes unforeseen turns.”
—Akron Beacon Journal

 
SUFFER THE CHILDREN
 
“Yet another must read!”
—Charles Todd
 
“A well-plotted and -paced thriller with a pair of intriguing protagonists.”
—Booklist
 
PERISH
 
“As always with Black, this psychological suspense is incredible.”
—Suspense Magazine
 
“Full of fascinating forensic science and an eye-opening deep dive into predatory mortgage-lending practices.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
UNPUNISHED

“This terrific mystery will keep you guessing at every turn—and turning pages as fast as you can.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan
 
THAT DARKNESS
 
“Lisa Black always delivers authentic characters in riveting stories. That Darkness takes things to a spellbinding new level.”
—Jeff Lindsay, creator of the Dexter series
 
“Black is one of the best writers of the world of forensics.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
 
“A great choice for readers of psychological suspense, forensic investigations, and mystery.”
—Library Journal

From the Publisher